At three discs and 78 tracks, the suspicion is that this set is for the truly hardcore fans for whom the previous reissues aren't enough and who need everything they can get their hands on. As such, Rhino is providing a public service. And every note of this is great, of course. For everyone else, though, they can feel relatively comfortable staying with the various beautifully done vinyl reissues of the original album or the 2001 CD reissue.

Doolittle 25 captures the best of this alt-rock landmark and offers up enough goodies to justify a full-blown celebration.

The original nine tracks have all been remastered, sounding just as crisp and thumping as ever.

There are decades of material here and plenty to revel in for years to come.

It's weirder, stylistically broader, and emotionally richer than the original Basement tapes. [Dec 2014, p.69]

There's not much left to say about The Queen is Dead, arguably the high point of The Smiths' formidable catalog, that hasn't been written before. Nevertheless, the notable thing about this reissue is the previously unreleased material on the bonus discs, which is enough to entice the interest of long-time fans who thought they'd heard everything there is to hear.

American Dream, an eight-disc vinyl set, spans Nyro’s output from her 1967 debut album, More Than a New Discovery, through 1978’s Nested, along with an LP of rarities and live recordings and a booklet that provides a solid overview.

This three-disc expanded reissue, featuring the remastered album with sparkling original B-side "Silver Springs," a disc of early takes, and a concert from 1977, does the original album, and its story, justice.

The real beauty of all the context provided here for this batch of songs is not that it extols or magnifies, but that it humanizes.

Today though, with the skyline dominated by the likes of Kanye West and Plan B on their respective sides of the Atlantic, to hear this genuinely groundbreaking group in such magnificent high definition is probably the closest we're going to get to going back to any of today's megastar's roots.

Guttural, soft, cacophonous, and poetic, Fetch the Bolt Cutters is a reminder of Apple’s genius and that we are all interconnected, one people, existing in a pulse.

Led Zeppelin IV and Houses Of The Holy feature the band at their peak, and these still hold up after decades of heavy rotation. [Dec 2014, p.90]

The immersive experience of sinking into the lovingly detailed Sound System will serve as a reminder of why fans agree with their label's slogan, "The Only Band That Matters." [Aug-Sep 2013, p.103]

Other than the fact that it came out a little late, there isn't a single thing wrong with it. [#8, p.113]

It's just that damn good. [#7]

Long-awaited, Kid A Mnesia is a testament of Radiohead’s phenomenal abilities, and stands as one of this year’s most exciting reissues. Fans of the group may rejoice, while newcomers will receive the full experience of two of the 21st century’s major creative achievements.

To Pimp a Butterfly is Lamar firmly embracing his place at the pulpit, looking into himself and out into the world simultaneously, and using his influence to paint a powerful, enduring picture of the black American experience. He's ringing the bell, letting us all know that the chickens are coming home to roost.

Ghosteen is an almost supernaturally wonderful record. It is, perhaps, the ultimate Nick Cave album—yet somehow unlike anything he has done before.

This material doesn't feel dated, but rather timeless as the political atmosphere is even more charged a quarter of a century later. The reason for fans to get this new deluxe edition, however, has more to do with the bonus discs.

Manages the not-at-all-easy feat of sounding remarkably undated and, well, timeless. [#39, p. 72]

While all three ["Naked Ladies and Electric Ragtime," "Fishbeard Sunset," and "Andru's Easy Rider."] contain some magnificent guitar work, they are departures from what is otherwise an incredibly cohesive and great album.

As a concept album, listeners will need to forgo Gainsbourg's typical mixed bag of song structures within an album in favor of more similar songs threaded with recurring musical motifs. [Spring 2009, p.80]

The quantum leap that SMiLE represented in 1967 is impossible to recreate or access in 2011. [Oct 2011, p.110]

This is a fearlessly bleak, yet subtly downcast album, and Lamar has thankfully attained the confidence and standing not to compromise that vision with party tracks, nor dilute it with swaths of guest stars. It's pure, direct, and bitterly spat.

It’s hard to argue against Wildflowers as one of Tom Petty’s highest masterpieces, especially after listening to Wildflowers & All the Rest. It’s a gift from the musical gods that the extra material here has been unearthed to contribute to our understanding and appreciation of the album. All of it demands repeated listens to take in its beauty and brilliance.

For those of us willing to succumb to a little bit of irony and absorb several hours' worth of Oasis stuff, here it is, and everyone else can join the Gallaghers of the world and complain amongst themselves.

This Best Of retrospective only scratches the surface of a storied career but can serve as both a jumping off point for newbies or for hardcore fans to relive the glory days.

Gentlemen is every bit as relevant today as it ever was and it stands up better than the lion's share of its contemporaries. [Dec 2014, p.69]